Pipe cleaner



J. T. BURNS PIPE CLEANER March 12, 1935.

Filed April 15, 1932 2 SheeiS-Sheet l J, T. BURNS PIPE CLEANER March 12, 1935.

Filed April l5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /'0/1/7 7.' Bar/75 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 1935 y I l l 1,994,209

@ATE NT OF FIC E Y rlrifeLEANEa 'Johny T. Burns,` Corona, N. Y. Appnatimnmn 15, 1932', serial No. 605,430

2 Claims. i

This invention. relates `to improvements in pipe cleaners, andv more particularly to pipe cleaners for such .purposes as cleaning-sewer- Among the principal objects which the linven- V5 tion has-in View are: To provide a pipe cleaner which will thoroughly and effectively .clean sewer pipes and the like; to positively cutaway growth which has gained access through crevices through the pipe or otherwise; toobtain. a simultaneous rotary impetus and scraping action with advancement of the cleaner in an obstructed pipe; `to render it impossible to pass 4the, cleaner through a pipe without. scraping a' passage next the wall ofthe pipe greater thanthe .mere

cient scraping with operation of the Vcleaner in either direction; toobtain rotation inthe same direction VwhicheverAvray the cleanerY is moved. longitudinally; to provide. a, devicewhich may be used for thev entire operation; to pro-f vide a device which maybe readilyV adapted to different sizesiof pipe; toY both sever the growth and wash the same and other foreign matter outv of the pipe; to secure simplicity -of construction and results as may be brought out in the following description. i

In the drawings: i

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a Asewerf construction wherein* the'4 invention is shown in use; i IA I,

Figure 2 is a similar-view showing'theY invention'in use for flushing `the sewer pipe; Figure 3 is an elevation `of ther pipecleaner;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same shown as taken on linei--fi of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view ofthe pipe cleaner shown as taken on the line 5-5` of vFig-- ure 4; andV the hose coupling. Y

As seen in the drawings the sewer construction is illustrated as providing a sewer pipe 10 into which manholes 11, 11 extend from the street surface 12 as usual. It will be understood that undesired growths, such as tree roots, very frequently force their Way into sewer pipes at inaccessible distances from the manholes. The present invention provides an improved means for removing those growths and. also other foreign matter which may have become lodged or deposited in the pipe. Y

The invention includes a device of elongated nature of a size small enough to be readily moved vthreads of collar 14 andthe outer end of Vwhich is vprovided with suitable attaching means such as thickness of the blade; to secure equally ein-- and operation; and toobtain other advantages l Figure 'is a longitudinal sectional View oi" longitudinally back and forth in theV pipe. As here sho-wn said device comprises a tubular body portion'lS having one end thereof closed, and

.having an annular collar 14 at its other end 'which is shown as screw-threaded, preferably Vli with interior threads for Yreceiving such tting as desired to apply thereto. One suchrltting is shown in Figures 3 and `Li and comprises a cap i5, theinner end of which is threaded toit the the eye i6. If so desired-this .eye may be formed as a part of an eye bolt 17 extending longitudinally through the cap with a nut 18 atthe inner end thereof. Similarly, the opposite or closed end of the body portion 13 is provided with an attaching means suchas eye Y1'9 which also'may if desired bea part of a screw eye A20 threaded into an appropriate bore extending longitndinally" inward of said bodyv portion. By this means it will be observed, the body portion may be attached at either orrboth ends and consequently vpulled. either way in use. Y

It will be understood by those skilled in the art', that the device is inserted in a sewer pipe 25 and connected by cable at opposite'ends, such as cables 271, 21 shown in Figure-1. Various methods are known inthe art for getting a cable from one manhole to another, and no special showing thereof is deemed necessary. Suffice it to say that if so desired, the body portion 13'may be lowered through one manhole and pushed to the next manhole by sectionalV rods secured to said device and to each other while being fed into the pipe. When the device reaches the second manhole the cable is attached and the device Ythen drawn back by means of the sectional rods to the '.rst manhole. Upon getting back to the first manhole, Vsaid device is separated from the sectional rods and cap fitting 17 is then applied 4U .together withfits accompanying cable 21. c Any other desired method may be employed as found the pairs being perpendicular to eachother.

These iinsare, in conjunction with the body portion so proportioned that they will not extend the full diameter of the pipe to be cleaned. This 55 fact has advantage in enabling the device to be passed through the pipe by hand as above described before acting to remove the growth Within the pipe.

I provide blades 23 to each extend substantially the length of a n next the longitudinal radial concave side thereof and mounted to have its longitudinal face juxtaposed to said longitudinal radial faceA of the fin for support thereby. The fins and blades are correspondingly perforated to receive bolts'y 24 Vconstituting a means for removably attaching the blades to the fins. The depth of the blades may be proportioned in conjunction with the diameterof the body portion of the device to bring the longitudinal outer edges of the blades near` enough to the inside wall surface of the pipe 10 for obtaining the desired cutting action upon the growthwithin the pipe. Preferably the longitudinal edges of said blades are notched to provide sav] teetlnand by working the device back and forth. in the 'pipe the growth will be severed -as toprovide substantially Va reversed helix or the like. The blade issimilarly shaped to rest Iilatwise against thefin. VThe forward slope (determined by direction of transition of the cleaner) will engage obstructions in the `pipe and thereby Vobtain a turning movement of the cleaner Yand a scraping action ofthe other parts of the lblade against the wall vof the pipe.

The curved part 25 is similar at opposite ends, so the turning ymovement isl effected no matter in `which longitudinal direction the cleaner is moved. The rotation howeven'will bein the same direction. Because of the longitudinal parts and offset part of the blades, thecleaner will scrape the wall of the pipe whether=the cleaner is turning or not, and cannot merely feed forward asa screw without a scraping action. Y

Asindicatedabove, body portionY 13 isrtubular but closed at one'end, and at desired positions on the surface of said body portion may be pro- Vvided nozzles 26 communicating with the hollow interior ,of said 4body portion. These nozzles referably are directed diagonally somewhat in the direction of the closed end of the body portion. By means of direct attachment or through the agency of afrcoupling 27, a hose 28 may be lattached to body portion 13, it being understood cap 15 is rst removed. As the device is pulled have indicated trucks 29 by eye 19 through the pipe to be cleaned,VV jets of water under pressure applied by hose 28 will be directed in the same way as the direction of movement of the device and the jets in conjunc A l tion with movement of the device will remove all loosened .matter within the pipe. Y It furthermore will be understood that any suitableimeans may be used for manipulating the device, and I with windlassesSO for this purpose; 'v y I claim: v 1. A pipe cleaner `as characterized comprising an elongated body portionkrotatable aboutk its` ownl longitudinal axis and having means at opposite ends thereof by which said body portion may bedrawn in either direction through a pipeV to be cleaned, anda plurality of outwardlyV projecting blades extending substantially the length of said body portion, said blades each havingend y parts ina common plane and having a curved part intermediate said end parts, said curved part having a curvature progressively offsetting the said intermediate curved part laterally out of vsaid plane from the end partsof theblade, y

both the longitudinal and curved portions of the blade providing pipe contacting means substantially throughout ythe length thereofV and lequiby advancing the cleaner in a pipe in either direction obtains Vthe 'same direction vof` turning movement by engagement ofthe leading portiony .distant from the axis of the body portion, whereof the progressively offsetting Ypart of th lblade with obstructions in the pipe and a lateral scrapf ing. action by the .rest'of the blade.' j y 2. A pipe cleaner as characterized comprising an elongated body portion rotatable about itsown 'Y longitudinal axis havingmeans at opposite ends thereof by which said body portion may be drawn" in either direction through a' ,pipe to be cleaned,v

a plurality of outwardly projecting longitudinal ns integral with 1and extending; substantially the length of said bodyf portion, and a plurality of blades in flatwise engagement, each with'a iin and of substantially the jsame length as'thefln, each said 1in and its'engaging blade having@ end parts in a commonY planeand having acurved part intermediate said end parts,said Vcurved n part having a curvature progressivelyV offsetting Y the said intermediate curved part laterally Yfromeach endpart out of theplanexof the said endV parts to the middle of the curvature,v boththe longitudinal land curvedportions of the; blade providing pipe contacting means -substantially throughout theglengtlr thereof and equidistant from the axis of thebody portion whereby-ad# vancing the cleaner in a pipel in either direction normally obtains a turning movement by engage? mentofY the forward curvature 4of thev offsetting part with obstructionsin the pipe and a laterali.

scrapingaction bythe restvofthe,blade'mv` y c ideartime@6 

